The very fine Victorian campaign groups to the Swain brothers, both products of the Royal Hospital School at Greenwich and both of whom went on to see distinguished careers as officers of the Royal Navy’s Navigating Branch, the first a superb Baltic, Crimea siege of Sebastopol and Second Opium Wars group awarded to Commander George Brooks Swain, Royal Navy who would be twice Mentioned in Despatches for his service in the Baltic campaign, during which he served aboard HMS Leopard, before later seeing service during the Crimean War where he would participate in operations during the Siege of Sebastopol where he was present in examining the channel into Kertch, under a heavy fire; and served in the boats of the Leopard at Kouban Saki; as well as serving in the attack of Soujak Kaleh. Later he would participate in the Second Opium War where he would be present at the capture of the Taku Forts and would also serve as the Master Attendant of the Hong Kong Dockyard from 1861 to 1864. He would later be in Navigating charge of HMS Agincourt, in the first years of that ironclad, and his last employment was in command of HMS Medusa before retiring from the Navy in 1870. The second brother’s group consisting of the South African Kaffir War and China Second Opium War Taku Forts and Mentioned in Despatches pair awarded to Staff Commander Edmund Swain, R.N., who would be present in South Africa during the Kaffir Wars and later would take part in the Royal Navy’s suppression of the slave trade while in HMS Pluto on the West Coast of Africa between 1852 and 1855. In 1862 he would be Mentioned in Despatches for his services at the capture of the city of Ningpo from the Chinese rebels during the Taiping Rebellion. The London Gazette of 15th July 1862 carried Captain Dew’s spirited account of the operation to attack and capture the city of Ningpo on May 10th, when in the course of severe fighting the ship lost an officer and three men killed, and a further 16 wounded. Of Swain, Captain Dew writes “When on the wall, the ship was in charge of Mr. Edmund Swain, Master, and he was of great service with Mr. William Ferns, Gunner, in covering our landing with the pivot gun, manned by cooks and stewards.’ Swain was later eulogised as one of the Navy’s ‘most efficient and highly-respected navigating officers’ at his death at Yokohama in 1871, when more than 3,000 officers and men of the British, French and American naval services took part in his funeral ceremony.
The superb Baltic, Crimea siege of Sebastopol and Second Opium Wars group awarded to Commander George Brooks Swain, Royal Navy who would be twice Mentioned in Despatches for his service in the Baltic campaign, during which he served aboard HMS Leopard, before later seeing service during the Crimean War where he would participate in operations during the Siege of Sebastopol where he was present in examining the channel into Kertch, under a heavy fire; and served in the boats of the Leopard at Kouban Saki; as well as serving in the attack of Soujak Kaleh. Later he would participate in the Second Opium War where he would be present at the capture of the Taku Forts and would also serve as the Master Attendant of the Hong Kong Dockyard from 1861 to 1864. He would later be in Navigating charge of HMS Agincourt, in the first years of that ironclad, and his last employment was in command of HMS Medusa before retiring from the Navy in 1870.
Group of 5: Baltic Medal, 1854-55; Crimea Medal, 1854-56, 1 clasp: Sebastopol; China Medal, 1857-60; Turkish Crimea Medal, 1855, British issue, fitted with Crimea-type suspension; these four unnamed, as issued; Greenwich Hospital School Prize Medal, in silver, 35mm, obverse with portrait of Nelson and legend 'Palmam Qui Mervit Ferat', reverse with struck legend 'Greenwich Hospital School Reward' and engraved 'G.B.F. SWAIN 1835', fitted with stylised rope suspension and ribbon buckle.
Condition: minor edge-bruising to the Crimea Medal, otherwise Very Fine to Good Very Fine
Additionally entitled to the clasp ‘Taku Forts 1860’ for China.
George Brooks Forster Swain was born at Stoke Damerel, Devon on 2 August 1820, the third of five sons (and four daughters) of Commander Thomas Swain, R.N. (1775-1853), an officer with a distinguished career in the Napoleonic Wars, including service at Copenhagen, 1801, as Master's Mate of the Ramillies (he lived to claim the Naval General Service Medal with clasp for that battle).
George was admitted to the Upper School of the Royal Hospital in May 1832 and three years later graduated to an apprenticeship in the mercantile service. He entered the Royal Navy as Second Master in June 1842 and retired in September 1870 in the rank of Commander.
In May and June 1854 George Swain was Master of HMS Leopard, flag-ship of Rear Admiral Hanway Plumridge, whose squadron was directed by Sir Charles Napier to make the first foray into the Baltic, where it did considerable mischief to the Russian enemy’s ships and materiel. In summarising the operations, Admiral Plumridge paid generous tribute to Swain’s contribution (London Gazette No. 21567, dated 30 June, 1854):
From the hindrances the squadron have encountered in this service, it has spread over a greater space of time than I at first contemplated; the intricacies of the ice, navigation, innumerable rocks, shoals, and the imperfect state of the charts as to soundings on the Russian side of the Gulf, together with the difficulties we experienced in disentangling the squadron, up to the 30th May, from the floes and fields of ice (of which we saw the last this morning), could not be surmounted in less time, or with less vigilance, by the officers in command, and that of the captain of my flag-ship, together with the constant perseverance and zeal evinced by Mr. George B. F. Swain, the master of the Leopard ; which ship I may here observe, to the credit of these two officers, has led the squadron from leaving the Aland Islands.
In his own report of particular operations off Uleaborg, Captain Giffard of the Leopard added further praise of Swain’s professional skill and dedication:
I take this opportunity to report to you the unwearied zeal and ability of Mr. George B. Swain, master of this ship, assisted by Mr. D. M. Jago, the master of Her Majesty's ship Odin, and their assistants, in sounding and buoying the intricate and shallow channels for upwards of 30 miles leading to this port, they being employed day and night for 48 hours, and having no plan of the place.
His exploits in the Baltic were by no means George Swain’s only experience of active service, as one of his obituary notices indicates (The Homeward Mail, 28 February 1884):
The death is announced of Captain George Brook Swain, R.N., late master attendant of the Hong Kong Dockyard. The deceased officer entered the Navy in 1836, and was acting master of the brig Pilot 1848 to 1851, engaged in the suppression of piracy on the China Station, and favourably mentioned to the Admiralty; master of the Leopard, flagship of Admiral Plumridge, served in the Baltic in 1854; specially employed buoying the shoals and passages, and leading the fleet through the Belt; navigated the Leopard in a dense fog through the most dangerous passages in leaving Elgsuabben, the fleet following; mentioned in despatches for navigating the Flying Squadron in the Gulf of Bothnia; present at the capture of Bomarsund; employed discovering a passage for the fleet to Bomarsund; sent on board Penelope when grounded, under the fire of the batteries, to assist in getting her off; mentioned in despatches (Baltic medal); served in the Black Sea in 1855, in Leopard; employed in examining channel into Kertch, under a heavy fire; served in the boats of the Leopard at Kouban Saki; served at attack of Soujak Kaleh (Crimean and Turkish medals, Sebastopol clasp); served in the Baltic, 1856; master of Chesapeake, flag of Admiral Sir J. Hope, in China, 1860; present at the capture of the Peiho Forts (China medal).
During his later career he was in navigating charge of HMS Agincourt, in the first years of that ironclad, and his last employment was in command of HMS Medusa. On retiring from the Navy in 1870 he took up residence at Ilfracombe, Devon, where he died on 31 October 1883. He is commemorated there in Holy Trinity Churchyard
A fine South African Kaffir War and China Second Opium War Taku Forts and Mentioned in Despatches pair awarded to Staff Commander Edmund Swain, R.N., who would be present in South Africa during the Kaffir Wars and later would take part in the Royal Navy’s suppression of the slave trade while in HMS Pluto on the West Coast of Africa between 1852 and 1855. In 1862 he would be Mentioned in Despatches for his services at the capture of the city of Ningpo from the Chinese rebels during the Taiping Rebellion. The London Gazette of 15th July 1862 carried Captain Dew’s spirited account of the operation to attack and capture the city of Ningpo on May 10th, when in the course of severe fighting the ship lost an officer and three men killed, and a further 16 wounded. Of Swain, Captain Dew writes “When on the wall, the ship was in charge of Mr. Edmund Swain, Master, and he was of great service with Mr. William Ferns, Gunner, in covering our landing with the pivot gun, manned by cooks and stewards.’ Swain was later eulogised as one of the Navy’s ‘most efficient and highly-respected navigating officers’ at his death at Yokohama in 1871, when more than 3,000 officers and men of the British, French and American naval services took part in his funeral ceremony.
Pair: South Africa Medal, 1834-53 (E. SWAIN, 2ND MASTER.); China Medal, 1857-60, 1 clasp: Taku Forts 1860 unnamed, as issued
Edmund Swain was born at Devonport on 20 October 1826, the fourth son of Commander Thomas Swain, R.N. He was admitted to the Upper School of the Royal Hospital in August 1838 and was evidently as diligent a pupil as his elder brother, receiving the prize of a sextant in 1844 (now held in the collection of the National Maritime Museum). His naval career was notable for the extended periods of sea service he spent on stations far afield; in addition to the active service represented by his pair of campaign medals, he also participated in the Royal Navy's suppression of the slave trade while in HMS Pluto on the West Coast of Africa (1852-55).
In 1862 he was serving in HMS Encounter as Master under Captain Roderick Dew, part of a squadron of English and French gunboats supporting Chinese troops in action against rebel and pirate forces attacking the treaty ports. The London Gazette No. 22644, dated 15 July, 1862, carries Captain Dew’s spirited account of the operation to attack and capture the city of Ningpo on May 10th, when in the course of severe fighting the ship lost an officer and three men killed, and a further 16 wounded. Of Swain, Captain Dew writes “When on the wall, the ship was in charge of Mr. Edmund Swain, Master, and he was of great service with Mr. William Ferns, Gunner, in covering our landing with the pivot gun, manned by cooks and stewards.”
Commander Swain’s death in Japan at the early age of 44 was reported in several English newspapers. The obituary published in the Pall Mall Gazette (16 September, 1871) is selected to provide an outline of his career:
DEATH OF STAFF-COMMANDER EDMUND SWAIN
On the 2nd of July last the English navy lost one of its most efficient and highly-respected navigating officers, through the death, at Yokohama, of Mr. Edmund Swain, Staff-Commander of H.M.S. Ocean.
The deceased officer was buried at Yokohama, with military honours, and more than 3,000 officers and men of the French, American and English army and naval services took part in the funeral ceremony. Rarely has an officer had paid him such marks of distinction and personal esteem as were accorded Mr. Swain. During his illness the French Admiral and Admiral Kellett had boats constantly rowing guard round their ships, in order to prevent the patient being disturbed by unusual noises. Mr. Swain served from September 10, 1841, to July, 1847, on board H.M.S. Crane, at Falmouth, as master's assistant; from October, 1847, to January, 1852, in H.M.S. Dee, at the Cape and East Coast of Africa, as second master, and was engaged in the Kaffir war, for which he received the medal; from January, 1852, to February, 1855, in H.M.S. Pluto, on the coast of Africa, as second master; from December, 1855, to July, 1857, in H.M.S. Victor, in the West Indies, as master; from July, 1857, to February, 1861, in H.M.S. Roebuck, in China, as master, and was awarded a medal for being engaged in the capture of the Taku Forts; from February, 1861, to May, 1861, in H.M.S. Atalanta, in China, as master commanding; from May, 1861, to September, 1861, in H.M.S. Imperieuse, flag-ship, in China, as master; from September, 1861, to August, 1864, in China, as master - during which period he surveyed the settlement of Yokohama trigonometrically; from January, 1865, to January, 1866, in H.M.S. Orlando, in the Mediterranean, as master; from October, 1866, to November, 1869, in the steam reserve, Devonport, as staff commander; and from November, 1869, to July 2, when he died, as staff commander of H.M.S. Ocean, flag-ship on the China station. Mr. Swain received, through Lord John Hay, the then senior naval officer on the China station, a letter of thanks from Sir Rutherford Alcock, her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary, for the able survey he made of Yokohama. It may be remarked that the period of time served by the deceased on the coast of Africa, in the West Indies, and on the China station is unprecedented.
